Mechanism for trimming multisheet printed products



Oct. 23, 1951 J. o. CRABTREE ETAL 2,572,802

MECHANISM FOR TRIMMING MULTISHEET PRINTED PRODUCTS Filed June 24, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET l INVENTORS 94:16 am ATT RNEY.

00L 1951 J. o. CRABTREE EI'AL 2,5 ,802

MECHANISM FOR TRIMMING MULTISHEET PRINTED PRODUCTS Filed June 24, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET z ATTORNEY.

Patented 0a. 23, 1951 MECHANISM FOR TRIMM-ING MULTISHEET PRINTED PRODUCTS John Oldfield Crabtree and Cecil George Quick, London, England, assignors to R. Hoe & Co. Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York ATENT OFFICE Application June 24, 1946, Serial No. 678,764 In Great Britain June 25, 1945 3 Claims.

This invention relates to the finishing of the printed products passing from a rotary printing machine, the products consisting usually of aplur'alit of folded sheets. For certain types of products it is customary at the present time to subject the products to a trimming operation in special trimming machines after they have been taken from the delivery of the machine in which they have been printed and folded-off. The main purpose of this trimming operation is to cut the three free edges of the various sheets (frequently stapled together) to remove unevenness of the edges, i. e. to cause the edges to be in "line instead of overlying one another unevenly; one'of the major factors causing the uneven lay of the edges of the sheets is the foldingofi operation experience having shown that it is very difiic'ult not impossible to ensure a perfectly even fold. The trimming operation reierred' to is also required when the products, as they pass from the printing machine with what is termed in the trade a bolt" fold, this fold being along one or two of the three free edges of a normal product; before the pages of the product can be opened in the normal manner,

the bolt folded edges must be cut and frequently this is eiiected by the supplementary trimming operation which operates to cut a small strip from the -bolt-folded edge or edges.

Now" the main object of thi invention is to provide in the rotary printing machine itself a mechanism which will ensure that the folded product as it finally passes to the delivery of a printing machine, shall have three free edges open and in alignment and otherwise free from imperfections.

This, object is achieved according to this invention by incorporating in the machine a rotary edge-trimming mechanism which operates to trim the three edges of the finally folded prodas they are in movement from the folding mechanism (or the final folding mechanism) to the-delivery; Thus imperfections in the alignments of all three free edges of the sheets of theproduct are removed as well as any other edge imperfections, such as those due to the use of serrated cross-cut knives and in the case of a bolt-fold, the bolt 'folded edges are cut to enable the product to be opened: the whole trimming operation occurs while the products are in movement at their normal speed so that the speed of the machine as a whole is not afiected.

The trimming mechanisms for the side edges (L e those edges-in the line ofmovementof the products) may be in the form of cutting discs such as are commonly used for effecting longi-q tudinal slitting of a moving web; the third edge (i. e. the edge transverse to the line of movement of the products) is preferably trimmed by a rotary clean-cut arrangement, the knives being arranged helically to provide a progressive cutting action across the product as it is moving and thereby avoiding the punching of the prodnot (as would obtain with a straight clean-cut knife arrangement) with resulting heavy loads on the machine and tearing of the edges.

For the disposal of the trimmings, specialprovision would be made; the trimmings from the side edges could be taken away by pins on -a. carrier, rota-ting with the cutting discs, these pins being impaled with the edge portion as the trimming is cut from the product and the trimming being taken from the pins at a point remote from the cutting zone; a collection duct, connected to a suction equipment, would be employed for that purpose and if desired the pins can be advanced and retracted on their carrier to take and release the trimming. This carrier could also have a cutting component which chops the trimmings into short lengths convenient for handling in the collection duct.

The trimmings from the transverse trimming operation may be taken by providing one of the co-operating cutting cylinders with an opening r; disposed in the region of the cutting component on that cylinder, the interior of the cylinder being open and connected to a suction equipment so that as the transverse trimming cut is made, the trimmings are drawn into the cylinder and thence taken away; this opening can normally be masked to avoid windage effects on the products and uncovered only during the time of making the out; alternatively the suction can be intermittent and timed to synchronise with the cut.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figures 1 and 2 are respectively a transverse sectional view and a side elevation of a machine, and Figure 3 is a perspective View showing the type of product handled by the mechanism shown in Figures 1 and 2, Figure 4 is a transverse section of a modified arrangement, and Figure 5 a perspective View of a product handled by the mechanism of Figure 4. Figures 6 and 7 are respectively transverse sections and sectional side elevation of a mechanism for removing paper trimmings from the cutting mechanism.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 and 2, W indicate web's which are associated at rollers I, -2 and pass iatiaso 3 to a knife cylinder 3 co-operating with a gutter cylinder 4 to sever the webs W into product lengths. The gutter cylinder 4 is formed to take the leading end of the webs to operate as a foldi-ng cylinder to fold of? the product lengths into two folding-off rollers 5, 6 whence the thus transversely folded products pass to a delivery shown in the particular case as a fly or fan 1 which lays the products on a travelling conveyor 8.

The mechanism referred to is well known in the printing industry and a detailed description thereof is believed to be unnecessary it being sufficient to observe that the product finally passed to the conveyor belts 8 is of the form shown in Figure 3, the transverse fold line produced by the folding off cylinder 4 being indicated at 9. It will be understood that this product is a multisheet product and the purpose of this invention is to enable the edges of the various sheets to be delivered with the edges clean and in line. In other words the purpose of the mechanism of this invention is to operate on the product shown in Figure 3 so as to trim the free or side edges ll] of the product by a clean cut.

Referring again to Figures 1 and 2, this trimming is effected by the provision of a rotary longitudinal cutting mechanism indicated generally at l l and a rotary transverse cutting mechanism indicated generally at I2. The mechanism I I comprises rollers l3, incorporating cutting discs 14 which as is seen most clearly in Figure 2 are spaced apart so as to effect the longitudinal or side edge trimming. This operates to cut the parallel edges as seen in Figure 3. The cutting mechanism l2 provided to effect the cutting of the remaining edge ID as seen in Figure 3 comprises-rotary members l5 having cutting knives 16 which are preferably arranged helically as appears from Figure 7 so as to effect a progressive or shear cut across the width of the product.

1 It will be apparent that the cutting mechanism of this invention is located to operate on the continuously moving products after they have passed through all the operations which might produce lack of alignment on the free edges of the product.

-- Referring now to Figures 4 and 5, in which the parts corresponding to those described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 are given the same reference numerals, there is provided an additional folding cylinder I1, and a pair of foldingoff rollers corresponding with the rollers 5 and B, and which cooperate to impart a second transverse fold to the product after it has already been folded-off from the cylinder 4. The appearance of the product as it passes from this second folding cylinder I1 is indicated in Figure 5, and this product is What is known in the printing trade as a bolt folded product: it will be seen that in order to open the product it is necessary to sever along one of the fold lines. In the particular case shown the hinge line of the product is again indicated at 9: there is also a folded edge indicated at I8 and the function of the mechanism shown in Figure 4 is to trim not only the upper and lower edges H] as seen in Figure 5 but also to cut the folded edge [8. This is effected by the transverse cutting mechanism l 2, the side edges being trimmed as before by the cutting discs I4. It may be pointed out that the bolt-folded product shown in Figure 5 is a simple one. It frequently arises that apart from the folds already described, additional folds are made in the product giving additional folded edges such as the edge l8, and quite obviously whatever be the form of bolt-fold the mechanism of this invention will cut all three edges and so provide as a finally delivered product a folded product of standard form.

Referring now to Figures 6 and '7, the arrangement shown in these figures is intended to take away the trimmings and flufi which may arise from the cutting operations. Thus, on one of the rollers [3 of the longitudinal cutting mechanism there may be provided sheet taking pins I9 operated by arms 20 in such fashion that as the roller rotates, the pins H) are projected to the marginal part (i. e. the parts just outside the cutting discs I4) so as to take charge of these strips and to carry them round with the roller to a duct 2| connected to a source of vacuum so that, the pins being released, the strips are taken from the cutting zone through the duct 2|. The pins are optional features for it may be found sufficient to extend the duct 2| to a point closer to the web than is necessary in the arrangement employing pins and to rely upon the suction effect to draw those strips away.

For the purpose of removing the transverse strips left by the cutting action of the transverse cutting mechanism, one of the cylinders I5 is hollow as indicated at 22 and this hollow part is connected by a branch 23 to the duct 2|. The cylinder is cut away at 24 in the region of the cutting knife I'B so that as the two knives on the cylinders l5 make their cut, the trimming is drawn into the interior 22 of the cylinder and thence away through the branch 23 to the duct 2 I. In order that the suction eifect shall be applied only when the cutting action is about to commence, the cylinder is rendered hollow by a bore which receives a tube 25, itself connected to the branch 23 and having an opening 26 in its wall: this opening 26 is positioned so that the opening 24 registers with it only as the cylinder in its rotation carries the cutting knife l6 into the cutting zone.

The arrangement of pins described for the longitudinal trimmings can be employed also for the disposal of the transverse trimmings; for this purpose one of the transverse cutting cylinders is provided with pins which are impaled in the trailing edge part of the product which will be trimmed-off and serve to carry the trimmings around with the cylinder to a duct connected to suction equipment, the trimmings being taken from the pins which may be withdrawn to facilitate the operation. In this case also, mechanism can be provided for chopping the trimmings as they pass to the duct.

Instead of employing pins to take away the trimmings, strippers may be disposed immediately adjacent the cutting devices, this stripper thus utilising the momentum possessed by the paper to take away from the product the trimming which could be carried forward by suction as has been referred to.

It will be apparent that as the products finally pass to the delivery of the machine, their edges have been trimmed to remove any unevenness caused by folding and any other imperfection so that the products can be taken from the delivery without requiring further treatment.

It may be mentioned that, in somecases, the rollers I, 2, may be disposed at the base of what is known as a former folder by which a first longitudinal fold is formed in the Web or webs W before they are severed into product lengths. In this case the folding cylinder 4 of Figures 1 and 2 operates to form a second fold which will be transverse to the former fold and produce a bolt-folded product. In using a former fold in the arrangement of Figure 4, is is followed by two additional folds imparted by the cylinders 4 and I! so that a three-fold bolt-folded product is produced.

What we claim is:

1. In a folder for a printing machine, a pair of forwarding rollers to forward associated webs, a rotary transverse cutting and transverse folding mechanism arranged to receive said webs from the forwarding rollers, to out said webs into unit length products and to fold the said products transversely, a rotary edge trimming means to trim side edges of the products after they are transversely cut and transversely folded, and additional transverse rotary cutting means positioned immediately following said edge trimming means to trim the then folded products along the edge opposite the fold and forward the thus finished products to a delivery.

2, In a folder for a printing machine, a pair of forwarding rollers to forward associated webs, a rotary transverse cutting and transverse folding mechanism arranged to receive said webs from the forwarding rollers, to cut said webs into unit length products and to fold the said products transversely, a rotary edge trimming means to trim side edges of the products after they are transversely cut and transversely folded, and second transverse rotary cutting means positioned immediately following said edge trimming means to trim the then folded products along the edge opposite the fold and forward the thus finished products to a delivery, the said second cutting means being positioned so as to effect the transverse trimming operation while the folded products are moving in a straight path.

3. In a folder for a printing machine, a pair of forwarding rollers to forward associated webs, a rotary transverse cutting and transverse folding mechanism arranged to receive said Webs from the forwarding rollers, to out said webs into unit length products and to fold the said products transversely, a second transverse rotary folding mechanism to again fold the said products transversely, a rotary edge trimming means to trim side edges of the products after they are transversely cut and twice transversely folded, and additional transverse rotary cutting means positioned immediately following said edge trimming means to trim the then folded products along the edge opposite the second fold and forward the thus finished products to a delivery.

JOHN OLDFIELD CRABTREE. CECIL GEORGE QUICK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 992,473 Barber May 16,1911 1,658,466 Sheldon Feb. 7, 1928 2,048,693 Grupe July 28, 1936 2,077,403 Eiseman Apr. 20, 1937 2,229,487 Berber Jan. 21, 1941 2,233,922 Kaddeland Mar. 4, 1941 2,427,223 Moore Sept. 9, 1947 2,487,404 Zuckerman Nov. 8, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 544,183 Great Britain Mar. 31, 1942 

